Changes
by Kitahoshi
Summary: Kazu returns home from college for the first time in two years to see Emily after an epiphany. Unfortunately, people and situations change in two years and Kazu has to realize that before he can win back the girl he loves.
1. People grow

Emily was tired, but she knew she had to go. She'd promised her father she would go to this stupid meeting, after he'd gone out of his way to schedule it so far into the future. Her father had made the plans exactly sixteen months ago. Emily had been too tired, too emotional to argue with her father. She remembered the day very clearly now, and she still thought of it as a day she would remember forever. No matter how painful it was, she decided she would survive. Kazu had left for college already, and had gone quite far away. At first he called frequently, but then... she'd yelled at him about something stupid. Later on she had been consoled by Yayoi that she wasn't really to blame, her raging hormones had made her argue with everyone who talked to her for a little while. Then he had stopped calling. But she was too busy to call him, too caught up in her own life. She hadn't even known she was waiting for him to call her until her father had suggested the omiai a year and a half ago. But she thought for sure Kazu would return or call her at least once before now as that was the deal. She had agreed, after all and Emily had always been a girl that kept her word and now that she was a woman it was no different.

She sighed, sitting in front of the mirror and make up desk she had gotten as a gift for her birthday this year. She thought at first that it was a little insulting, but then became even more enraged when she realized what they expected her to use it for. It was useful now to stare at her reflection and realize just how tired she looked. She needed to shape up! After all, she'd been the one to agree and she was just going to the meeting. She'd had her picture and information in the omiai all this time and only one man was willing to meet her. She had a pretty good idea who it was, too. She'd sensed his presence the moment her father had suggested the meeting and he'd been there on that important day. He had even come in to see her. Well, he had come to see only her when he found out she was in the hospital but in the end it hadn't been a visit with her at all.

Without too much trouble, she managed to fix her hair up into a traditional loose bun with some beautiful trinkets that had come with her vanity set. Yes, well planned presents indeed. Either way, she hadn't been feeling too pretty lately and it had made her take back her feminine side by force. Yayoi was always telling her these things were normal, and had also told her that the omiai was for the best. Yayoi had reminded her that she had to think about the feelings and needs of others for once despite her never ending feelings for Kazu. He wasn't coming back, after all. He didn't come back for the breaks either. She looked in the mirror, pleased with what she had conjured up. She was sure he wouldn't care of course if he'd been waiting this long for the meeting.

Once she had assembled herself into her traditional pink kimono with cherry blossoms, she walked out of her room to see her parents eagerly awaiting. They were happy with her appearance, and happy she'd decided to go even though she was tired. She hadn't slept much lately and she worked part time in the shop thanks to her parent's understanding. Yes, it was time to think about other people than herself. Her mother stayed behind, though she wished to go and see this mysterious candidate who dared to show up alone.

Kazumi Mikura stepped off the bus with a proud expression. Would he wait until tomorrow to go see her? Ikki and the others were likely to want to see him as well. Though Kazu wasn't really a shy person, he found it hard to express things clearly when the others were around. Onigiri in particular tended to ruin serious trains of thought with an ease that frightened the blond. No, he decided he would go see her first. Before the others had a chance to ruin his carefully laid out plans. He'd heard that Emily had started working in her family's shop and hadn't gone to college after all, but he wondered why she'd made that decision after he had left. Perhaps she was taking time off. She hadn't called him since the time she'd yelled at him four months after he'd left. He'd been confused and angry as well, but didn't really regret hanging up the phone. It was the first time he'd ever talked to Emily that way, and it had taken him a long time to realize there was no one else who could yell at him like that and make him lose his temper. Besides Ikki. But Ikki was talented that way. He hailed a taxi, deciding the visit to his parents could wait. He hadn't seen her in so long- not since two years ago when she'd come to see him off. A lot of things could happen to a person in two years but he knew Emily would still be there. She was the strongest person he'd ever met, and he never worried about her the way he had worried about Ikki and Kogarasumaru. He'd given up worrying about her in the air battle with Om.

Emily entered the hotel entrance with her father by her side, walking as gracefully as she could in these ridiculous robes. Her mother had said that pink was a maiden's colour and so she needed to wear it to remind her suitor that she was a young woman still. Either way, she knew it wouldn't matter to him even if she showed up in a track suit. He'd always been with her, had endured every time she had yelled at him. She had even hit him once, with no little amount of strength and he had let her. He wasn't even angry. He never really smiled either, but he had simply told her he would wait until she had calmed down to return to visit her again. When had these visits started? Two years ago, she supposed. She'd seen Kazu off, with high hopes. And the next thing she knew he had integrated himself into her family. Though her family were ill at ease with him, he made them nervous. It was only on the day of the proposed omiai that they had begun to accept him. She wondered if she could accept him. Not just as a visitor, but as a husband. Emily was tired. But she was tired of waiting, too. If she could love him, perhaps it would be for the best. They approached the table where he was waiting patiently. Emily knew her father was still surprised by his frightening eyes, but they could not get through to her. There had been a single moment in time when she had seen a different expression on his face, even before Kazu had left and she would not forget it. He'd praised her as she had been protecting those that mattered to her, even if it was against him. She sat at the table, and let her eyes fall on the scar across his face.

Kazu arrived at Adachi Emily's family shop, without flowers or anything he thought might make her not attempt to beat him into a bloody pulp when he showed up to see her two years after he'd gone. But the shop was empty and quiet.

"Hello? Is anyone here?" He called out. He heard noises in the back, and wondered if someone had fallen or broken something. He heard quiet foot steps and prepared himself to be hit by Adachi. She was strong. And he might have deserved it. He took a breath in preparation, wondering if there was anything he could say to make the beating less painful. Only to be greeted by a small and giggling child. The child was laughing at him, and it was almost annoying. But he was wondering where in the world the small thing had come from. His face was still plump a bit like a baby and the way he walked gave Kazu the idea that he hadn't been walking for very long. The blue jumper he wore had its hood over his head and was adorned with two bear ears. He thought of Emily's parents having another child and wondered if that was why she had started working in the shop. He had Emily's brown eyes, and was still laughing at Kazu. Just when Kazu was about to get mad, the almost toddler shook his hands up towards him and Kazu stared at the child in confusion. What did that mean exactly? The child continued to stretch his arms up towards Kazu's tall figure for a few moments as if he was hugging a ghost. Very cautiously, he picked up the child by its mid section with both hands after it dawned on him what the request had been.

"Kenji! Where are you? As soon as I catch you!". Kazu looked between the child and the voice that was calling and getting closer. The child nuzzled in closer to him, and he could see the look of a kid who was trying to avoid getting in trouble. He wondered what he was supposed to do now. That was definitely Adachi's mother calling, and he wasn't even sure that Kenji was the name of the small thing he was holding. He'd only picked it up because he was afraid it was going to start crying. Finally, Adachi's mother found him. He was still unsure of what to do with the child, as it seemd like it wasn't going to let go of him. Yes, this was definitely Kenji. And then Adachi's mother stared at him like he was a ghost.

"H-hi, uhm, is Emily here?" He asked, nervously wondering why she was staring at him like that. He was going to start babbling out of nervousness. "Ah... Kenji is his name, huh? He's really cute - I'm kind of surprised you and your husband would want another child at this age." She finally reacted, shaking her head to herself as if he'd just said something stupid.

"Emily is out right now, can I take a message?" She said, not bothering to remove Kenji. Kenji knew he was in trouble and was going to stick to the blond stranger until it was deemed safe again. Kazu wasn't sure what to say for a message. He never really got the chance to though. The phone rang and the woman asked him to wait there for a moment and watch Kenji.

"You see him every time you come to visit, why do I need to drag him out here too. He's supposed to be having a bath right now anyway," Emily said, stirring her straw in the water glass. Her father was highly embarrassed by her casual responses at such a serious meeting but Gabishi didn't seem to care much. She was acting more like herself now anyway. She'd been moping for too long, it wasn't like her.

"It would make things more official. Besides, he has a say in this decision too," He said coolly. Emily sighed, the matchmaker was not impressed with either of them but had decided after the first ten minutes that their personalities were very good together. Even if there were no feelings between the two individuals themselves, it seemed like the best match that Adachi was going to get with all things considered.

"Alright. But it's not like he can speak enough to agree to anything. What is it you like about him so much anyway?" She asked, smiling to herself. A parent's pride was one thing she couldn't hold in.

"Your eyes. He has your eyes, and it reminds me of that time. Besides, he doesn't have a father anyway," He said. He hadn't meant it to be cruel, but she felt a bit of pain in her chest and made it quickly pass. Gabishi, of course, was right. She hadn't told him so it was the same as him not existing. But now was the time to stop being selfish. It wasn't just Emily anymore. She had to think about Kenji's needs as well. Gabishi was surprisingly good with Kenji, but it was more likely the effect of having been around since he was born. Sixteen months and Gabishi still wanted to marry her. Not really for her, more for Kenji. But perhaps a little bit for her as well. Emily was tired of waiting for someone who might turn around the moment they saw Kenji. She turned to her father.

"Father, please call mama and ask her to bring Kenji. He can stay in his pajamas as well, I don't want him to think he doesn't have to go to bed tonight," She said, and her father stood to leave. She turned back to Gabishi, taking a sip of water before she continued. "You really love him, don't you?"

"Not just him, Emily," Gabishi responded distantly. He didn't have to say the words, because she could hear them. She blushed, unable to keep eye contact. It had been a long time since someone had said that to her. Well, not said technically. She wasn't going to wait anymore, she reminded herself.

"Let's go wait in the lobby for him."

**(A/N)**

Okay. One comment to make here. Oh my God! There are next to no non-yaoi Kazu stories! I just wanted to read one! Is that such a terrible thing? So... here I am again, writing a story when I should be finishing off my other ones as planned. And for all waiting on the current focus don't worry! I'm still working on it! I'm just finishing up the last chapter of this one now. I'm a little nervous, the end is going to be really action focused and I'm no good with writing that sort of stuff. I can pull a heart string but when it comes to Air Trek just watch me go flying into a wall. But it had to be done- even if the last chapter doesn't come out right it's better than the nothing I've been finding when I just want to read an Emily and Kazu story. I'm actually not done the manga but I'm almost there. I'm on chapter... 160-170. I meant this story to be a one shot then decided that after the 2000 words limit I'd better turn it into a chaptered story.

**Disclaimer: I do not own the characters or story of Air Gear. I just write.**


	2. People Change

Adachi's mother returned looking rather unhappy, which was a relief to Kazu who didn't actually know what was expected of him when he was asked to watch this strange little being. He had been talking to Kazu non stop since the woman had gone, it was just too bad Kazu couldn't understand a word he was saying except for 'mama'.

"Kazu, I hate to ask you a favour when you've come to see Emily, but I need to watch the shop- an important customer is coming. Could you please take Kenji to the maple hotel? Emily will meet you in the lobby." These words made less sense than what the toddler had been spouting at him.

"Why is she at the hotel?" He asked, too curious to not ask. The woman sighed, looking at him a little sadly. She hadn't exactly been in agreement with her husband's plans on proposing omiai to their daughter on the day that Kenji was born, but she had been convinced by Gabishi's presence itself. She was an old enough woman to know the way he'd looked at her daughter and the way he'd doted on her all through her difficult pregnancy. But she wouldn't lie to Kazu. She had promised not to tell Kazu the truth about Kenji, but she didn't have to tell the boy- he had a brain in his head. He'd figure it out no matter how hard Emily tried to keep it from him.

"Mikura-san... my daughter is attending an omiai and her suitor would like to meet Kenji," She said, measuring his expression. As she expected, he looked as though she'd stabbed him in the eye. Kazu barely felt the woman removing Kenji from him as she set to put a warm coat and shoes on the small child. "You're going to go see your mama and Gabi for a little bit. It's a good thing you had your bath early." Kazu was lost, and confused and in no state to be bringing any child anywhere. He looked at the child in confusion and shock, the math not working out.

"Adachi-san," He addressed her mother, feeling a cold pain stabbing him. Adachi Emily was strong. He'd never had to worry about her- even when he should have. Who was Gabi? Whoever it was, it made the small child happily climb into his coat.

"Did you know? Kenji is only sixteen months old. He's just becoming a toddler. Emily will be able to go back to working soon." She bundled the small child up, and he found himself surprised to know that the child was so young. Adachi Emily was the strongest person he'd ever met. And nothing had changed about that. He climbed into the taxi with the heavy diaper bag and excitedly gibbering toddler still feeling took him half way to the hotel to finally add the numbers correctly. If Emily's son was sixteen months now, and he'd been gone for two years that would have made Emily three months pregnant when he left. When he'd left her. Kazu didn't know whether he wanted to be angry, sad or shocked. He covered his face with his hands, as if it would make everything go back to normal. He was thinking about back then, the day he'd left.

_Kazu had been getting ready to take the bus and his things were all ready to go. He'd never questioned her about anything._

_"I'm not going to college anymore, I'm going to help around the shop for a few years," Emily said, smiling at him. He'd returned it and ruffled her hair despite her protests._

_"You're a nice daughter," He replied. She shook her head._

_"Not really. So, what's going to happen to us?" She asked him suddenly. He'd been blushing, the others were so close by it made him nervous. They couldn't make fun of him once he was gone of course but that certainly wouldn't stop them from getting their creative insults in now._

_"I don't want you to wait for me, Emily. I don't know how often I can come back to see you..." She was still smiling, but her eyes were watering. Not that she'd ever let herself be weak in front of him. She'd taken up air trek to support him. She wouldn't waver. She nodded._

_"Are you sure?" She asked._

_"I'm sure. You should be able to be happy without me, or else you wouldn't be the same Adachi Emily I met in high school."_

Kazu was starting to feel ill. He wasn't ready to think about all this. In essence, he'd left his pregnant girlfriend behind and stopped calling her because of a stupid argument. Kenji was still talking beside him, and it was with a trembling hand that he reached over to pull back the blue hood of Kenji's jumper back. Kenji wasn't laughing at him or talking anymore. Kazuma Mikura wasn't the best conversationalist either at that moment. What else had he expected? Kenji was blond. There were too many emotions flooding him, too many thoughts. All he could do was look at this frail child and absorb the information. The taxi had stopped, and Kazuma managed to get a hold of himself pinching his own arm.

"Will you accept, Emily?" Gabishi asked her as they stood in the lobby quietly. Emily was still thinking it through. Still thinking about what this meant, to her and to Kenji.

"There's no helping it, Gabishi. Kenji loves you and you have been kind to me," Emily finally said as she saw the taxi pull in. "Will you help me put him down tonight so we can talk to my parents about when we should announce the engagement? He listens to you. Probably because you're scary." She laughed, and it felt good to laugh for once.

"He isn't scared of me, he's too much like you," Gabishi deflected, waiting for his future mother in law to exit the cab with Kenji. They could barely see the figure step out but he recognized the smaller bundle of clothes that was Adachi Kenji easily. She took his hand, feeling brave and wondering if her father was still in the dining area. He hadn't been looking well since he phoned home and it had worried her.

"Gabi!" Kenji cried out, struggling out of his arms as he was carried inside. He was put down and ran full speed towards Emily and Gabishi before tripping and falling. Kazu hurried after him, wondering if he was alright just as soon as the child was scooped up by a long and strong pair of arms. When Kazuma finally looked up, he recognized Gabishi easily. His hair was shorter, but his scar and eyes were unmistakable. Gabishi's expression didn't change as a rather stunning brunette joined him.

"Stop that, he's fine. You know he only reacts to falling because you're such a mother hen-" Emily stopped mid sentence, finally seeing him. Emily looked the same, just a bit older now, Kazu thought to himself. He imagined she was very pretty when she wasn't making such a ghastly expression. Her eyes were watering, and before a tear could fall she was hidden from view behind Gabishi. Gabishi seemed to be looking at Kazu now with a blank expression which was better than what he was sure was Emily's tear streaked face.

"Thank you for bringing him, flame king however we have already confirmed our engagement. We'll be taking him home so you can go."

Kazu felt his temper flare. This type of bastard was treating him like an outsider!

"Don't you think any of this is my concern?!" He said angrily. "That- that's my son!" It had been hard to say but he managed it.

"Is that so? Where were you when he was born?" Gabishi responded neutrally. Kazu bit his lower lip as the guilt stabbed him again. He'd been dating someone else at that time... he hadn't really cared for her either, it was really just Emily! That's why he'd come back!

"I... I came back to ask Emily to marry me..." He finally said.

"What are you going to do now that you know? You're not ready to be a father to any child. So I'll be taking care of things here on out." Gabishi pulled Emily towards the hotel doors without giving Kazu a chance to defend himself.

"Emily!" He pleaded. She stopped, and stood straight before she turned to look at him.

"What is it, Kazu?" She asked. She looked tired. It tore him to know it had been him to turn her that way, while she was being protected by a man who used to rip people's faces off.

"I... why didn't you say anything?". She smiled at him, and it was like they were in the past again as she approached him. She messed up his hair affectionately, and he didn't miss the gesture's meaning.

"You need to go to college to become a good man," She said, letting out a breath. She'd thought this was going to be harder, but it seemed the words had been in her heart all along. And Emily knew at that moment that she would be fine. She moved to join Gabishi again.

"Emily, wait!" He called again, making her sigh as though she was talking to a child. "Emily... what about us?" She shook her head patiently.

"Kazuma, it doesn't work that way. It's not just me anymore. We're adults now, and I have a son. It's everything or nothing."

"But why Gabishi...?"

"Did you know? Gabishi caught me going to the hospital for my regular visits. He stayed with me up to when Kenji was born and even stayed around afterward. I bet you never thought so but he and Kenji get along very well," She said, feeling the quietness of the lobby. She turned away with Gabishi and Kazu said the first thing that came to mind.

"Emily, I still love you." She stopped, and only turned her head towards him to smile. The smile that would break his heart.

"That's not enough." Without anything else to say, he watched them leave, feeling broken. Why did he think that he could just come back and pick up as though he'd never left? Those words were true, it wasn't enough. He'd been more than a fool to think that returning so suddenly that she would still be waiting for him.

"Eh, is he still here?" Ringo asked as she bounced into the small apartment. She entered the living room where Kazu had taken to moping. "Kazu, what's wrong with you? It's been a few days right. Shouldn't you be going back to college soon?"

"Do you know why I didn't come home on the breaks?" Kazu asked quietly. Ringo raised an eyebrow, wondering if there was a point to this conversation. "I was working..." He put down the box he'd been holding. She opened it, surprised and in awe.

"Wow, you really did come back to propose, huh? With something like this, even I'd say-" Ringo didn't finish as Agito stomped down the hall to glare at her. "I'd say no, my love can't be bought?" She attempted. Kazu looked between the two, confused.

"Wait... what's... huh?" Kazu said, looking between them.

"Fuck woman! Is that all it would take, just something shiny?! Fuck!" Agito managed before Ringo changed his eye patch over. Akito looked at her with the best puppy eyes a grown man could muster. "Is it true... Ringo?" Ringo hugged him, patting his head.

"Nope. No one compares to you two," Ringo said, looking back at Kazu's shocked expression.

"What about Ikki?! What in the world has been going on since I've been gone?!" Kazu practically screamed. Ringo looked at him, tempted to move the eye patch again. But she chose not to, aware of what his freak out was really about.

"Kazu... you didn't think we all were going to be the same people after two years, did you? Did you never notice that Ikki hasn't been here the entire time you've been moping in my living room? He doesn't love me. He never did, Kazu." Kazu sighed. She was right, he was being ridiculous expecting none of them to have changed in his absence.

"You're wrong, Ringo. He did love you- probably still does. He just doesn't realize it," Kazu said, shrugging. Ringo's expression didn't change. He'd expected for a flash of pain to go through it. Instead she was smiling warily.

"He obviously didn't love me enough, Kazu."

"He didn't love Ringo-chan enough to keep from staying by Kururu's side," Akito finally broke into the conversation. Kazu felt himself losing grip. If not even Ikki and Ringo... what chance did he have? Not much. He sunk back into the silence and looked out the window blankly. He hadn't called his parents yet. He wasn't sure what they were going to say. They'd probably tell him the same thing. It still hurt. A child he'd never known existed, and who obviously hadn't known about him alongside Emily being led away by such a man. His Emily... wasn't his. He'd lost her, because he was stupid. He still thought about Kenji sometimes in his musings. It hurt to think about it, and he didn't know how to feel about the child. He looked like Emily, really. He wondered. What would he have done if he'd known? Would he have stayed?

**(A/N)**

**Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters, or the story.**

So anyway... I know what you're thinking. "Why is Gabishi being so weird?!" The answer is that... well... there isn't enough Gabishi and Emily love. So I thought I might kill two birds with one stone on this one. I don't actually have children, but enough of my close friends have so... that's why Kenji is a brat sometimes. Because he would be. I mean, he's related to Kazu. I'll probably write up the last chapter tonight or tomorrow. So I'm not intentionally leaving a cliff hanger (you'll know what I'm talking about after chapter three), I'm just guaging for reactions. If there's enough support for the Gabishi Emily love I may write them their own little drabble. Nothing complex, just a little under 1000 words get together. Maybe even only 500 words.


	3. People Need

"Now before you go all melting in my living room," Ringo said, catching him before he'd had a chance to answer his own question. "If you think about it, this isn't about Ikki and I, it's about you and Emily."

"I knew that," Kazu said looking away.

"Well then, are you just going to give up and go back to school?" Ringo asked, sitting at the table with Akito happily brushing at her hair. It made the conversation a little hard to take seriously.

"Uhm... how did you two... end up...?" Kazu asked, looking in confusion between the two. Ringo laughed a little and Akito blushed. "I mean... you guys are so... well different."

"Ah... well we sort of were complaining about Ikki together one night and then uhm..." Ringo turned unexpectedly pink. Akito reflected the colour, dropping the brush.

"It was Agito!" Akito said suddenly. "I mean, I always thought Ringo was pretty and that she was a good rival but... Agito was really mad that night so..." Kazu laughed, wondering how the two could still be so bashful. Akito was starting to look upset, and Ringo took him into her arms and smoothed out his hair to soothe him before Agito decided to come out and start swearing.

"You still didn't answer my question Kazu. Why did you come back?"

"Well, you know already," Kazu said, leaning back. Ringo sighed and shook her head, smiling to herself as if she was about to explain something to a toddler.

"Why did you come back after two years of being away and being out contact for almost as long?" Ringo asked gently. She didn't want to make him feel more guilty on that point than he already did. She'd been filled in by Gabishi already, and though Gabishi was a little... strange he was surprisingly upset about traditional things. He'd been angry at Kazu for not being there at least when Kenji had been born, and when Ringo had tried to explain that Kazu was completely out of the loop, Gabishi had said that the King of the Flame road should have just known. Of course, it had made Ringo wonder if they'd made Gabishi a little more different when the Gravity children had been created. He made it sound like it was supposed to be an animal instinct. Of course, there hadn't been time to question if any of the other older gravity children felt the same.

"I couldn't forget her," Kazu answered with an apparent difficulty.

"Can you forget her now?" Ringo asked before he had the chance to recover. He looked at her like she had just said something hateful to him. "Well, if that's the case, Kazu, why are you here moping at my apartment?"

"But... Gabishi..." Kazu started, but Ringo got the message.

"They don't spend all their time together you know. You could have been spending these last few days getting to know Emily again. For instance, why haven't you asked why she decided to have Kenji?" Ringo said pointedly. He was really not being himself. It made Ringo a little annoyed. Where was the passionate and angry Kazu that should have arrived? Of course, everyone had changed in the time.

"Why would I ask that?" Kazu asked blankly.

"You're not even slightly curious as to why she chose to have your baby even when you left? Doesn't that seem like you still have a chance?" Ringo said, pounding her fists against the table in aggravation. Akito shifted back in case there was going to be a fight.

"She's the one who told me it wasn't enough," Kazu said, completely calm in the face of an angry thorn queen.

"It isn't enough. But did she look happy to you?" Ringo said, her fists still clenched on top of the abused table. Heaven knew it had been flipped and thrown at Ikki enough times.

"But..." Kazu began, trying to think of something to say to that. No, she hadn't looked happy, just tired. "I get it."

Emily had just finished her shift at the shop and went into the back to take Kenji to the park like she'd promised earlier. She needed the air. She needed to think a little more. Gabishi had been coming around every day since Kazu had returned to town and she'd been telling him off that she didn't need his protection. He of course, thought otherwise. Everyone seemed to think otherwise about her like that. Even Kazu had thought that in their fight against Om. Of course he hadn't been himself then, but now that she thought about it he wasn't like himself now either.

She walked the short distance to the park and stayed within a foot of Kenji knowing with a great annoyance that if she didn't stick close he'd try eating the sand. She also had to deal with tantrums now too. Somehow, she'd felt really cheated when she'd found out that the terrible two's actually started before two years of age. Kenji was angry that she wouldn't let him climb anything, and was currently having a fit.

"Fine! I'm going home and you can stay here," Emily said standing and turning away keeping one eye on him as he followed her screaming louder. Children- why had she decided to keep him again? She stopped suddenly as Kenji walked into the back of her.

"That's a pretty cool trick," Kazu said quietly, standing there in his A.T.'s as if he belonged there. "You're a pretty good mom, huh?" Emily shook her head at him, crossing her arms.

"I wish," She said turning around to see that Kenji was too caught up in the fact that they weren't alone and had forgotten he was throwing a tantrum. She picked him up and dusted him off before continuing her conversation with the man she'd never expected to see again. "With parenting, there's really no good or bad, it's sort of just you. It's not what you expect at all. So, are you going to be staying in town to go to the engagement party? Ikki is going to be there and he wants to see you." Kazu smiled before skating slowly towards her. Before she had a chance to deflect him, he'd given her a chaste kiss on the forehead.

"There's not going to be an engagement," He said, too close to her. She could feel herself blushing, and becoming too warm. But damn it! She was angry! She wanted to yell at him and bit her lip instead, knowing that it was the last thing she wanted Kenji to see. If he saw her throwing a tantrum she'd never hear the end of it from her toddler.

"Don't be stupid Kazu, the arrangements are being made as we speak," Emily said, keeping her voice surprisingly even. Of course, it was an amazing sense of patience that she was showing now and she owed it all to the wriggling child in her arms. Ugh, there had been so many times when she'd just wanted to throw Kenji out with the bathwater but she had managed to keep it in. Emily was a strong person- and she knew it. But love could make anyone strong. He was skating around her now, and Kenji was clapping excitedly. She sighed. As a mother, she didn't want Kenji getting any ideas about Air Trek. But she missed going out on them. They'd been her source of letting off steam and then she'd been told that she wasn't allowed to use them when she had gotten far enough along in the pregnancy. It had been the reason she'd hit Gabishi even though he was being unusually nice.

"Emily, I'll take you back, so don't worry," He said continuing to skate around her. He was expecting her to thrash him any moment now. She looked at him with the angriest look he'd ever seen and he wondered if the plan had been such a good idea. She might beat him up whether or not Kenji was there. Either way, he took the moment of her distraction to take Kenji from her and stopped skating about a foot away from her. Any closer and she might hit him. "I'll do whatever it takes, learn anything I need to know, you can beat me until you're satisfied." Kenji was amazed by the sleekness of the movements and was making high pitched giggling noises until he stopped. Then he looked over at Emily, measuring for a reaction. If his mama was okay with the stranger, then that meant it was safe.

Emily had planned on murdering Kazu very slowly and perhaps ripping his face off in pure Gabishi style at first. Really, she had committed to that when he'd first said it. She was just going to put Kenji down for an unscheduled nap and then she'd strangle him until he turned blue. How could he say these things to her?! She'd been trying so hard without him and here he showed up with no plans or organization just telling her he was going to take her back as if she had no choice in the matter! Oh yes, she had planned to kill him. Then she was going to figure out a way to bring him back to life and then kill him again. Gabishi wouldn't even get a chance to do anything, this was personal. And then there was Kenji, who fit so perfectly into Kazu's arms and was looking at her for approval when he himself had already decided he liked Kazu. And then another emotion altogether had filled her, cleansing away all the rage she had been feeling and she could feel tears falling. She'd been wrong to keep it from him. She'd known all along. It had been wrong to keep them apart, make them strangers. In the process, she had become a stranger to her own heart.

"It's.. it's not that easy Kazu," She said, wiping away at her face furiously with her arm. He skated forward, using his one hand to support Kenji and placed one hand on her head.

"I'm a King- I'll fight for you. I'm going to challenge Gabishi," He said. Emily looked up at him in shock as he said this. It was impossible...

"No, please don't. You can't win," Emily said, new tears springing forth. Kazu's expression hadn't changed- he'd known how things were going to happen before he came, the -the bastard! She wanted to stop crying before Kenji started getting upset. Of course, it was too late. she knew when Kazu's hand disappeared as he was trying to keep hold of the squirming child. He returned Kenji to her, as he was obviously wishing to return to her with the way he kept thrusting himself towards her. He managed to guide her over to the park bench where he sat her down on his lap much to her embarrassment. He wrapped his long arms around her and Kenji, keeping her there. Though it was frighteningly comfortable.

"I can't get your heart back any other way. I'm a rider, this is the only way I can convince you," He spoke quietly. And Emily hated that he was right. Hated that he knew that. She'd finally managed to calm herself down which had gotten Kenji's attention.

"He won't go easy on you. Gabishi... he loves Kenji. From the moment he was born..."

"It's better if he doesn't. I can't erase the past, and he knows that." Kenji was wriggling again. She sighed, pulling out of Kazu's embrace and standing.

"Kenji is a weird kid, and it's all your fault," She said, setting the toddler down as he trotted back into the park.

"I know. But I think you're pretty weird too. It couldn't be helped with parents like that," Kazu said, trying not to laugh. It would ruin the atmosphere. Kazu stayed and watched them playing at the park together with a small bit of bittersweet feelings. He wasn't allowed to join them yet. He would fight for them, and get them back. His family. His family he'd never known about or known that he'd wanted. Because it was no longer a matter of whether he was good for them or not- he wouldn't live without them. It would be one thing if he'd never known, but even still he would have come back for her. He wished he had come back earlier, but somehow, now seemed like the right time. Kazu wasn't a boy any more, he would have to beat Gabishi. Because he couldn't let Emily or Kenji go now. He couldn't keep moping over the past. It had nearly cost him the future.

**(A/N)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything. Capiche?**

Alright. So this is the last thing I've got for you before I run off to either write or do other things in what may look like procrastination but is actually carefully planned brain storming by getting away. Huh. You're not convinced, huh? Well there's enough words in these chapters to keep you busy for the day or two that it will take to get moving and do up the next chapter which I intend to be the last. I don't really want to make this too long even if it means that Kazu's committing to being a parent seems really rushed.

Love you all! Be safe and await my update with a serene smile!


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